Heart Attack Signs to Know

Most of us have a friend or family member who has had a heart attack. That is why it is important to be aware of the heart attack signs and symptoms as early as possible. It can be lifesaving. Let’s take a closer look at how to spot the symptoms of a heart attack and what to do if these happen to you or someone you care about.

What Is a Heart Attack? 

A heart attack describes tissue death or damage to parts of your myocardium, or heart muscle. The medical world calls a heart attack a myocardial infarction (MI). 

What Happens During a Heart Attack?

A heart attack greatly impedes or fully blocks blood flow to your heart. This cuts off your heart’s oxygen supply, which it can’t live without.

In turn, this prompts various heart attack signs and symptoms, which let you know that an infarct (tissue death called necrosis) has happened. An infarct can scar and weaken your myocardium and keep it from working as efficiently as it did before your heart attack. 

How Long Does a Heart Attack Last? 

Mild heart attack signs and symptoms may last for a few minutes, and then stop when you rest. But more severe MI symptoms can last for 20 minutes or more, especially if your coronary arteries are completely blocked.

What Causes a Heart Attack?

Your heart needs blood to thrive and survive. Your coronary arteries lie just outside your heart. 

They provide a direct pathway for blood to enter your heart. Damage ensues when this pathway gets blocked.  <Read more> 

The increase in Orange County will average 11%. The rate change can be attributed to many factors, including a continued rise in health care utilization following the pandemic, increases in pharmacy costs, and inflationary pressures in the health care industry, such as the rising cost of care, labor shortages and salary and wage increases.

Despite this year’s increases, because of the extension of enhanced federal subsidies through the Inflation Reduction Act and new financial support from the state, Covered 

California members will have more help paying for their plan than ever. 

Many consumers who receive financial help will see no change to their monthly premiums, and some will see their deductibles eliminated entirely. Those without federal subsidies will be fully impacted by the 2024 rate increase.

While post-pandemic medical trends — such as increased utilization of health care services, medical cost inflation and labor dynamics — are driving this year’s increase, the rates are more than a one-year story.

This year’s 9.6 percent increase reflects an average of proposed rates across all health insurers who offer individual plans, and rates can differ by plan and region.

In a major change Oscar Health, which serves just over 31,000 enrollees in California, announced that it will be withdrawing from California in 2024.

We can easily check your eligibility and options in mid-October by calling, text, or email.

From UCI Health - RSV — short for respiratory syncytial virus — may cause only mild cold-like symptoms for most people, but it can be especially severe for older adults. Now two vaccines are approved to prevent RSV in adults age 60 and older.

“This an exciting new development,” says Dr. Hannah Nam, a UCI Health infectious disease specialist. “RSV is a highly contagious virus that can make it difficult to breathe and, in severe cases, could lead to hospitalization for pneumonia, other lung infections and heart failure exacerbation for older adults.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that complications of RSV infections are responsible for 60,000 to 160,000 hospitalizations and as many as 10,000 deaths each year in adults age 65 and older. (As a point of reference: Flu 390,000 hospitalizations, 25,000 deaths)

The two vaccines will be especially helpful for older residents in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, those living with young children who may be exposed to RSV in daycare centers and schools, as well as patients with health conditions that increase their risk for severe RSV infection.

More than 100 million Americans, including 42% of adults ages 60 and older, are living with obesity, a chronic condition that puts them at elevated risk for a variety of serious conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.

Yet as people advance in years, it gets harder to shed pounds. That's why there is considerable interest among older adults in Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs that have proven extraordinarily successful in helping people lose weight.

Ozempic, which was approved to manage diabetes, is very effective for controlling blood sugar levels and it helps with significant weight loss, says Dr. Bavani Nadeswaran, a UCI Health specialist in weight management and a professor of internal medicine at the UCI School of Medicine.

However, taking the drug may pose other health risks for older adults that aren’t yet well understood because of the small number of participants over age 65 in the Ozempic clinical trials. Even fewer participants were over age 70.

Benefits vs side effects

“Study participants over age 65 did benefit from improved blood sugar levels and had a lower 10-year risk for cardiovascular disease, similar to the effects seen in those under age 65,” she says.  <Read more>

Nuts are a healthy staple in many eating plans, including Mediterranean, plant-based, keto, heart-healthy, and more. They offer an abundance of essential vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, making them an excellent addition to your meals. Plus, they are a super convenient and shelf-stable food, making them a popular choice for snacks as well.

With so many pros, it’s no wonder health experts often recommend a handful of nuts. But what exactly does a “handful” mean? Here’s our quick and useful guide to help you grasp the number of nuts that make up a standard 1-ounce serving size.

A Handy Reference for Portioning Nuts

A standard 1 oz (28 gram) serving of nuts contains between 160 and 200 calories, of which 80% to 90% is composed of fat.